Speed Cleaning Your Kitchen!

When I am feeling overwhelmed by an overload of housework, I always start in the kitchen.  Our kitchens are the hearts of our homes, and usually serve as "command central", so they see the most activity & traffic.  If my kitchen is neat and orderly, I always feel as though I have a better grasp on things.   Even if you don't have time for a full deep cleaning, sometime a quick run through can make all the difference.


Let's go over some tips for a 10-15 minute Kitchen Speed-Clean to get you on the right path...

1. Start with a clean sink.  

Deal with the dirty dishes.  Are you familiar with The Flylady?  She is the expert when it comes to getting a grip on organization and cleaning.  She teaches that the first step in the process is to shine your sink.   I adapted this practice a few years ago, and it's amazing the difference it makes!  Last thing I do at night... make sure the sink is shining!  It makes getting up so much easier when you don't have to face a dirty sink!  About once a week I sanitize with bleach, as our kitchen sinks are breeding grounds for bacteria.


      2.  Clear off the table & countertops.


If your table & countertops  are  free of dishes and clutter, you're well on your way!  Take any clutter and put it in its proper place,  put bills and mail in the office, or designated spot. and  clear all dirty dishes.  Wipe down the table, and add clean placemats, or a fresh tablecloth.  Remember, less is more when it comes to what is on your countertops.


       3.   Store any food or leftovers.


Put away pantry items, and put refrigerator foods away.  Make sure leftovers are stored properly for safe storage.  When you put the foods away, look for anything in the fridge that needs to be tossed.


       4.  Look for strays.


Take a look around and check for any items that don't belong in the kitchen.  Use a laundry basket to collect the items,  then take them and put the in their respective places right away.  It doesn't help to move items from one out of place location to another "wrong" spot!


      5.   Make a garbage run.


Be sure the garbage cans are emptied.  This eliminates any foul odors.  Be sure the outside of your waste-can gets a wipe down with anti-bacterial spray.


      6.  Floors.


Give the floors a good general sweeping, and then a quick run over with your mop or Swiffer.  (I use my Swiffer Wet Jet for these quick clean-ups, and a Shark Steam Vac for a thorough cleaning.)  Remember you're not deep cleaning or sanitizing your floors right now, just making sure that they are "clean" as for anyone can tell from glancing.


      7.  Don't get distracted.


This one can be hard for me sometimes.  I can intend to do a 10-15 minute speed-clean, and next thing I know I'm cleaning out the plastic wear, or alphabetizing soup cans!  Stay focused, and if need be, follow a check list.  It really can help!


Summertime is no time to be cooped up inside doing housework!  Use this simple guideline for a daily "speed-clean", then your rainy day deep-clean will be much easier, and take less time.


My love of cleaning supplies is similar to my love of office supplies!  A little weird, but fun!  Here are a couple of my favorite cleaning products...

Pine-Sol

This has been my favorite cleaner since I was a little girl.  I love to smell a house that has just been cleaned in Pine-Sol!  When I was pregnant with Princess #1, I literally craved to smell this stuff... I cleaned like a mad woman, but THAT story is another post!

J.R. Watkins All-urpose Lemon Cleaner

This product has great fresh smell, and does a good job with quick clean-ups.  I use it several times a day for quick clean-ups like wiping down cabinets, countertops, and light spills.  It's perfect for the kitchen because it's an all-natural product.

Greased Lightning

I used Greased Lightning for everything from a laundry stain-remover, to cleaning the microwave and grill!  Love this product!

Now, hit me up with some comments, and tell me your "can't-clean-without-it" products!  I may need to go shopping for some new cleaning supplies!  ;-)

Keep Shining!

The Woo-Hoo Gal

Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

WOO-HOO! We have a winner! Vol. 2

Congratulations to Jana in Texas.   

She is the winner of the $20 Target giftcard!  

Enjoy a little shopping spree on the Woo-Hoo Gal, Jana!

(Jana was chosen by randomnumber.org as #9)

Thanks to everyone who entered!  There will be another giveaway when we reach 200 followers on Facebook, so post a link to our page and get your friends to "like" us!  I am so happy to have you join me!


Keep Shining!


The Woo-Hoo Gal


Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

I really appreciate your concern...

Some of my blogger friends have me interested in exposing my family to fewer chemicals.  In the hope of not having to use a drain unclogging product, I decided to try a more organic method I read about this week ... Pour 3-4 tablespoons of baking soda into the drain, and then follow with a kettle of boiling water.  Easy-peasy, right?  Let's do it, cause I've been looking at this nastiness for several days now...


The girl's bathroom tub has had standing water, and since they, and my Main Man, are away this week, I've just overlooked it.  Well, last night I decided to tackle my problem head on with this great "home-remedy".


Did I mention it has been this way several days?  Did I mention that I had planned to call a plumber friend to check things out because really, a drain shouldn't be THAT clogged...


Well.  Let me tell you another great, all-nautral, chemical-free, easy-peasy way to solve the problem of a tub that's holding water...  

OPEN. THE. DRAIN. 

Unplug the stopper.  Push the little thingy down until it pops up.  Pull the chain up.  Whatever terminology blows your dress up.  Yep... I did...seriously.  I worked on unstopping a bathtub that had had water standing in it for days, and the stinkin' drain stopper was down!    I am worried about me.  I could be whack-o .  Makes me wonder about the two lawn mowers and television that didn't make it to days end working properly.  What in the world? ... Not sure yet.  I appreciate your concern.

Trying to keep shining, 

The Woo-Hoo Gal  ;-)

I refuse to post photos of my stagnant water-filled tub.  

Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

You can be a winner, too!

Being a winner is the best!  I'm not often the winner of games & contests, but a couple of weeks ago I won a great new book, Fade to Blue, by author Julie Carobini, over at my friend, Anne's blog, Stuff & Nonsense. 

Go check out S&N, because Anne is giving away another copy of this new release, plus you can read her interview with the author, Ms. Carobini.  
That win was just enough  to get me motivated that there are more winning possibilities out there for me! 

Recently, one of my "charter readers", LLCinNC won herself a $25 Philosophy.com giftcard.  On Tuesday, I'll announce the winner of my latest giveaway, a $20 Target giftcard.  Want to win that?  I love, love, love winning things, but it's so fun to host giveaways as well!

If you're new to the world of blog giveaways, I thought I would give you some tips on some great ones going on this weekend.  

1.  Erin over at the Humbled Homemaker, is having a giveaway for a wonderful all-natural product, Zarbee's Children's Cough Syrup.

2.  Donna at Funky Junk Interiors is having a giving away for a darling vintage light kit!

3.  The girls over at Mommy and Me Giveaways have several great giveaways currently going on, including a fabulous Schwinn Joyrider Jogging Stroller/Bike Trailer

4.  Chris at Mama Bird's Blog is giving away a lovely party bucket from Willow House.  Oh, I would love to win this one!

There's some great stuff out there, just waiting on you to win it!  When you stop by these other sites, please leave them some love and tell them the Woo-Hoo Gal sent you over!
Do you know of another blog hosting a great giveaway?  Tell us about it in the comments below.  Good luck, gals!

Keep Shining!

The Woo-Hoo Gal

Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Easy-Peasy Target Giveaway!

Who doesn't love Target? best.store.ever

My rule is if I'm there to buy dog food and deodorant, it's Target.

If I'm looking for something for my house, or a great pair of shoes, it becomes Tar-Jay... you know, all French boutique sounding!

So, how would you like an extra $20 to blow at the fabulous Tar-Jay? Well, someone will win a $20 Target giftcard really soon! It's soooo easy to enter this giveaway, and you can have 3 entries...

1. Go to our Facebook page and "like", then leave me a comment here to tell me you did. Already liked? Tell me that too.

Click HERE for FB link!

2. Post a link to our FB page on your FB page (personal or business), and leave me another comment here and tell me.

3. Follow TheWooHooGal on Twitter, and then leave a comment here and tell me.

Click HERE for Twitter link.

See...it's that easy! You have 3 chances to win $20 for only a couple of minutes of effort. Sometimes life is good...

Rules: Comments must be left here to count as entries and entries taken until Monday, June 27th at midnight, est. Target card will be delivered via email as an e-card to the winner selected randomly by a number generator.

Keep Shining,

The Woo-Hoo Gal

Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Mango-Pineapple Salsa!

If you haven't tried the amazing blend of sweet fruits blended with the flavors traditionally used in salsas, you're in for a treat! Make this today...seriously, it's that good! Best part of this recipe is that you can go from zero to eating in about 10 minutes flat!

Here's what you will need to whip up your own batch of Mango-Pineapple Salsa...
* One large, ripe mango
* fresh, cored pineapple (you will use about half) I suppooooose, you could use canned pineapple, but you would never do that, right?)
* bunch of cilantro
* one small white onion
* one lime
* half of a large bell pepper, any color
* one fresh jalapeño pepper
* Jane's Krazy Salt

Use a vegetable peeler, and peel the mango...

Slice into long strips, and then dice in small dices...

Yep, that's it! Just like this...

Next, finely dice the cilantro. It's difficult to use and exact measurement, but maybe about 1/4-1/3 of a cup. Of course, you can add more if you like, and less if you like. Shoot, you could even skip it all together, but why on earth would you do that? You love cilantro, right? I've found that with most people it's a love or hate thing...we happen to love at mi casa!

Next, cut your peeled, cored pineapple in half. Set one half aside (delish with your breakfast tomorrow), and then chop the other half into chunks and then dice. I used my handy-dandy little chopper dealio for that.

Next take a fresh jalapeño, and cap both ends. Don't be afraid of these, they are really not that hot, especially these larger ones. I like medium heat when it comes to spices, and these are just fine, especially when mixed with the sweetness of the fruit.

Cut the pepper longways and open it up...

Remove the pith and seeds...

Dice the pepper and to suit your taste...

Now, this is the part where you add a small, finely chopped onion...
What? Say you can't see the picture? Yeah, well, I forgot that part. Use your imagination! I mean seriously, you Reaaalllly need to SEE me do that? Sad.
Ok, moving on...
Squeeze in the juice of one lime, and add the Krazy Salt...

Mix together with a wooden spoon and you will have this awesomeness...

Serve with some blue corn tortilla chips and dive in! ¡Fabuloso!

Special thanks to my lovely assistant, Princess #3. Not only is she an amazing sous chef, she has some crazy good food photography skills for an almost 11 year old!

Keep Shining!

The Woo-Hoo Gal

Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

In Praise of Purple...

It bothers me that I don't have a favorite color. Never have.
I have favorite colors! I love color. Like really, really love color... all kinds of colors!
One of my favorite colors is purple. I love all shades of...


lilac...

periwinkle...

eggplant...

orchid...

amethyst...

All of these shades are gorgeous to me. I thought I would share some of my favorite things in ONE of my favorite colors!

Here's the link to my Pinterest board, "My Purple Passion"
pinterest.com/woohoogal/my-purple-passion
Check it out and see what you think!

Keep Shining!

The Woo-Hoo Gal


Photo credits to Google

"Hello, my name is Beverly, and I'm a sweet tea-aholic."

There is absolutely nothing I love anymore than a glass of perfectly brewed sweet tea.
Well... ok, there's a few things, but you know what I mean! In my struggle to lose weight, "drinking" my calories (aka, sweet tea) is probably my biggest habit to overcome. I LOVE my tea. I mean really really love it. Like IV drip love it...

"Hello, my name is Beverly, and I'm a sweet tea-aholic."

When I was a young newlywed, living about four hours from home, I remember calling my Mama, and having her walk me through the process of making tea. Mine didn't taste just right, so I went to the expert. I've tweaked Mama's method a little over the years, but the results are just as fabulous. There are many methods for making tea, many people I know make a simple syrup, and use that for making their tea, others boil the tea bags longer. Don't have your own tried & true recipe yet? No problem...I'll share my method with you for my favorite drink... ever!

Southern Sweet Tea
(Makes one gallon, or you can half for a 2 qt. pitcher)


* Bring about a 3-4 cups of water to a rolling boil.

* After the water is at a rolling boil, add 4 family size teabags. I use 4 Luzianne Family Size Tea Bags (and the decaf is good, if you prefer).

* Just a little tip, I tie my tea bags together like this, so that they are easier to remove later.

* Make sure the tea bags are throughly saturated, and move them around a little. After 60 seconds or so, remove the pot from the heat.

* Allow to steep for a good 10-12 minutes. If you don't steep your tea correctly, it will not be good! I know it's hard to wait, but STEEP the tea!

* In the meantime, add 2 cups of sugar to a gallon size pitcher. (and try to ignore that high-class manicure!)

* After the tea has finished steeping, pour over the sugar, carefully squeezing the liquid from the bags. (There are few things more frustrating than breaking a tea bag at this stage!)

* Quickly stir the sugar well while the tea is still very warm, until all the sugar is dissolved.

* Fill the pitcher with cold water until the one gallon level, and stir well. Serve over ice with a slice of lemon and a sprig of mint if you like. (I'm out of mint, or maybe to lazy/tired to go pick some in the herb garden) Delish!

One other tip, make a lower calorie treat, an "Arnold Palmer", by mixing equal parts of sweet tea with a sugar-free lemonade. These are favorites at my house, too.

I'm proud to say all three of my girls know very well how to make an awesome pitcher of tea...hope I still get some calls one day for something!


Keep Shining!
The Woo-Hoo Gal



Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

I haven't shampooed my hair since last December!

Say What?? That's right... no shampoo since last December! I have, however, conditioned and cleansed my hair with my Wen Cleansing Conditioner!

I'm a Wen convert! I don't think I'll ever go back to shampoo. The Wen has changed the health and texture of my hair for the better in many ways. It cleanses hair thoroughly but without lathering and all the harsh ingredients that may be found in ordinary shampoos—it is designed so it won't strip your hair and scalp of their natural oils. My hair has a tendency to be really oily, so I was afraid that the lack of detergents and lather would leave me feeling greasy, but the Wen cleanses thoroughly, and has made my hair feel healthier than ever.

I bought my first bottle of Wen in December of 2010, and I finished that same bottle in late May of 2011. That bottle was the Lavender, and my newest is the Sweet Almond Mint. Although I like both varieties, I think the Lavender is my favorite. Even though Wen is initially expensive when compared to other shampoos, when I compared the cost of the one 32 oz. bottle (about $48), it was just as affordable, if not more so, than the money I had previously been spending on shampoo, conditioner, and leave-in treatments. Now I had all three in one bottle and it lasts for months.

Check out www.wenhaircare.com and learn more about it! Have you tried Wen Haircare? Leave me a comment and tell me about your experience!

Keep Shining!
The Woo-Hoo Gal


*By the way, Chaz Dean, the creator of Wen products doesn't know me from Adam's house-cat, and I suspect he never will. I wasn't paid or compensated for this endorsement, but it is rather my own opinion. If by some chance you are out there, Chaz, and you want to send me a few gallons of your awesome stuff, and/or a sweet little check, I'm good with that! ;-)


Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

It's a Blog Hop!

'Haint Paint' for your porch!

Occasionally, I take on projects for clients needed help with anything from home business organizational help to decorating to party planning.  Recently, I was asked to help give a gorgeous, Southern-style front porch a "make-over", and I wanted to share the experience with my fun, creative readers.  I'm sure you're going to really help me with decisions, and ideas!  Here's a great front porch inspiration  found...

I love all the greenery used on this porch!

Do you know about the old Southern tradition of a blue porch ceiling?   I grew up in the South, where it was the very common to see porch ceiling painted various shades of blue.  I always thought it was pretty, and made the porch ceiling look like the Carolina blue sky.  Some say blue helps extend daylight as dusk begins to fall, and many believe it keeps the bugs away, as I had often heard.  Mosquitos apparently don't like blue?  Who knew!  


I also heard it called "haint paint", and had no idea what that meant, until as a young teen, my family visited some of the South Carolina low-country's plantations, where it was explained that the people of the Gullah culture believed the blue paint kept away evil spirits. You can read more about the traditions of a blue porch ceiling here.

Front porch with a blue ceiling

I'm just getting started on this porch project, and so far I have cleared the porch, and have had the porch ceiling painted blue.  I chose a beautiful pale grayish-blue by Sherwin Williams,  Atmospheric

Atmospheric SW 6505

The home-owners are still making some decisions about their style choices.  We've looked at many designs and inspirations, but they are looking at a Transitional/French Country/Shabby Chic look, and I am attempting to mesh those styles together for them.  If you would like a look at some spaces that are inspiring this project take a look at my Pinterest board for porches.  Don't know about Pinterest?  

You're going to LOVE it ~ I promise!  

I'll be posting some pictures soon, as we begin the porch makeover journey, but I wanted to tell you about it first, and give you some background and history on a great Southern tradition.  Do you have a great front porch?  I would love to see it!

Keep Shining!

The Woo-Hoo Gal

"Whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

WOO-HOO! We have a winner!

Woo-Hoo!  We have a winner!

Enter a lower limit:
Enter an upper limit:
Random Number:

 

The number generator chose #6.  Follower number 6 is... 

LAUREL

Laurel, please email me within 48 hours at woohoogal@gmail.com 

to claim your prize, a $25 giftcard to philosophy.com!

Thank you so much for being a Woo-Hoo Gal Blog follower!  I'm looking forward to many great things ahead!

Now head on over to FACEBOOK, and like our page there.  You have a chance to win another great prize when we reach 200 "likes" on our page!

Keep Shining!

The Woo-Hoo Gal


* sorry the number generator shows up blank on the post...it said "6"!  ;)

Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Clean out the fridge = lasagna?

Saturdays are usually my clean out the fridge day.  I must say, this is one of those jobs I loathe.  It's right up there with ironing my girls cotton, pleated uniform skirts... YUCK!

My Main Man scores major points when he does this task for me, and bless him, he often does. Today I decided to take some of these ingredients that were well on their way to being yucky, and squeeze some supper out of it.   See that wrinkly green pepper?... nothing can save it now but a hot skillet!  The sour cream has 2 weeks left, so it needs to be used soon too.

I had enough of the right things to make my "Faux Lasagna".  I call it "faux" because I think all "real" lasagna is required to have ricotta cheese.  I don't hate ricotta, but I'm certainly not a fan, so I replace the ricotta with two things I do love... sour cream and cream cheese!  I know, I know... sounds a little weird, but I promise, it  really is delicious!  I'll share my recipe.  It's really simple!  
              (I know, I know... fattening!)  I'll be healthy Monday...pinky swear!

Here's what you'll need:

• ground beef
• lasagna noodles
• onion (I used green & white onion, because I had a little of each)
• sweet peppers, any color (again, I had a little yellow & a little green)
• one container of whipped cream cheese
• Olive oil
• a cup or so of sour cream (sorry, I just don't measure much)
• a variety of shredded cheese (I used what I had some Italian mix, sharp cheddar)
• grated parmesan cheese (Pah-leeze don't use that powder in the green bottle!  If you don't have fresh grated, at least get some "real" cheese!)
• a jar of your favorite tomato sauce (I love Bertoli, plus I had coupons for it.  I make homemade sauce for  usually, but its just not necessary for this recipe.  Bertoli does a pretty good job!)
• an extra fresh tomato
• salt, pepper & Italian seasoning

I want to be sure you understand that this is what went into today's lasagna, but next time it might be a little different.  It's all about what's in the fridge at the time.

Start by chopping the onion and peppers.  I had never used green onions in this dish, but I had some leftover, so I used the tops and all, along with about a forth of a large white onion.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet, and get those veggies sauteing.  

(Please note that awesome cool magenta pinky nail!  I was trying out nail polish for church tomorrow, but THAT is another post!)

After your veggies have cooked and look something like this...

Add your ground beef and then it should look like this...

It will soon look like this...

Drain any excess oil from the meat, then add one jar of spaghetti sauce, and a diced tomato, 

 so it looks like this...

L

Let it simmer over medium low heat until it looks like this...

How did you like my mad time-lapsed photography skills?

Anyhoo, in the mean time you can mix together the sour cream, cream cheese.  You could use a regular block of cream cheese, but you will get a sore shoulder from beating it!  Lucky me. my chilins had not eaten all my whipped cream cheese on their Wheat Thins!   Season this mixture with salt, pepper & Italian seasoning.  It should resemble this...

Next, get your sassy, adorable, robin's egg blue, polka-dotted casserole dish ready.  

WHAT?  You cannot be serious!  You have NO sassy, adorable, robin's egg blue, polka-dotted casserole dish?  Ok, then, you can use that plain ole' white pyrex with the rust colored flowers that Grandma gave Aunt Myrtle in 1972, but be warned... 

it won't taste as good!  

Well, line whatever casserole dish you choose with the noodles.  

I use Barilla no-cook noodles.  They are always just perfect, and no boiling?  Me likey!

 Now,  just line your casserole dish with the noodles, and spread a layer of your cream cheese mixture, and sprinkle with grated parmesan.  So you should be at this stage...

Next you add a layer of sauce and the other shredded cheeses, top with a layer of noodles, and start over layering,  It should look like this:

and then this...

Until you have this...

I had two boxes of noodles, so I was able to squeeze two pans out of my ingredients, but it didn't even take a second half of a box.  Now I can run some dinner by to some friends, or I could wrap this well, and freeze it.

Pop this in a 350 degree oven, and cook until hot and bubbly.  Mine cooked for about 45 minutes.  I wanted to show you a picture of that beautiful pan of cheesy lasagna, but when I went back to take a picture, this is what I found...

Maybe that says it all, right?  So, clean out the fridge, and don't be afraid to try something a little out of the ordinary.  You may love it!

Thank you for all your support!  My blog is now two weeks old, and I'm having a fabulous time.  I've already met some really genuinely lovely people... those are my favorite kind!

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.  I now know that bloggers "live" for comments!  Your responses mean so much.  Don't forget to tell your friends to follow the blog.  We're only 5 follows away from one of you winning a fabulous prize!  Get the details here!  

Keep Shining!

The Woo-Hoo Gal

Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.